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NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center celebrated the 10th anniversary of the opening of The Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health at an event held this evening. Founded in memory of Jay Monahan, late husband of Yahoo News' Global Anchor and New York Times' best-selling author Katie Couric, the center is one of only a few comprehensive cancer and wellness centers dedicated to gastrointestinal health.

Ms. Couric was joined by Dr. Steven J. Corwin, CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian, who hosted the event, along with Dr. Felice Schnoll-Sussman, director of the Monahan Center, and associate professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, to mark the occasion.

The Monahan Center was established in 2004 with support from The Entertainment Industry Foundation's National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance (EIF's NCCRA), which Couric co-founded. After Monahan's death, she joined forces with NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medical College to establish a place where patients would have access to the latest services, treatments, education and experts in all necessary specialties under one roof. The center takes a unique, multidisciplinary approach to patient care that allows for seamless coordination of all necessary health and support services. Providers from subspecialties, including gastroenterology, surgery, oncology, pain management and radiology, work collaboratively in teams to treat patients.

"When Jay was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer, I got a crash course in cancer treatment. While he received exceptional care, it became clear that one place that could coordinate care and provide a myriad of services would be a godsend to families dealing with the trauma and challenges of gastrointestinal cancers. I'm thrilled that the Monahan Center has provided thousands of patients and their loved ones with compassionate, comprehensive care as well as critical information about prevention, screening and treatment," said Couric.

"The Monahan Center is consistently at the forefront of innovative patient-centered care," said Dr. Corwin. "We are extremely grateful to Ms. Couric, the Entertainment Industry Foundation and the NCCRA, as well as the leadership and staff of the Monahan Center, for their continued support in providing state-of-the-art care and education to our patients."

The Monahan Center has led the way in advancing the treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal illnesses. In recent years, two state-of-the-art esophageal function labs were opened, which complement the multidisciplinary esophageal program and offer a full spectrum of diagnostic testing for patients with benign and malignant esophageal diseases. The center also significantly expanded its genetic and nutrition counseling services. Additionally, physicians at the center serve on the faculty of Weill Cornell Medical College, a leading research institution for gastrointestinal health. Thus patients have access to clinical trials and the latest equipment and treatments.

"The Monahan Center grew out of a burning desire to advance treatment options and improve the daily lives of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. What an honor it has been to play a role in its successful growth over the past 10 years. This has been made possible by both the exceptional team of physicians and professionals at JMC who care for our patients on a daily basis and the generosity of our benefactors," said Dr. Felice Schnoll-Sussman, director of the Monahan Center.

In addition to its clinical efforts, the Monahan Center provides educational information on gastrointestinal cancers and wellness for patients and their families. Patients can access the latest data on disease prevention and clinical trials as they wait for their appointments. The center continues to collaborate with professional societies, outreach organizations, patient advocacy groups and others to reduce the burden of gastrointestinal cancer, a major killer in the United States and around the globe. In 2011, the center initiated the "Make That Call" campaign, which encourages those 50 and older to schedule colon cancer screenings.

Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health

The Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center is a world-class gastrointestinal cancer and wellness center. The Monahan Center serves as a unique model of coordinated and compassionate care, dedicated to public education and the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers, including cancers of the colon, rectum, pancreas, esophagus, liver, gallbladder and small intestine. The Monahan Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell is located at the corner of 70th Street and York Avenue in New York City.

NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center

NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, located in New York City, is one of the leading academic medical centers in the world, comprising the teaching hospital NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medical College, the medical school of Cornell University. NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell provides state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine, and is committed to excellence in patient care, education, research and community service. Weill Cornell physician-scientists have been responsible for many medical advances — including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer; the synthesis of penicillin; the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S.; the first clinical trial for gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease; the first indication of bone marrow's critical role in tumor growth; and, most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital also comprises NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester Division, NewYork-Presbyterian/The Allen Hospital, and NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital. The hospital is also closely affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian/Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville. NewYork-Presbyterian is the #1 hospital in the New York metropolitan area, according to U.S. News & World Report, and consistently named to the magazine’s Honor Roll of best hospitals in the nation. Weill Cornell Medical College is the first U.S. medical college to offer a medical degree overseas and maintains a strong global presence in Austria, Brazil, Haiti, Tanzania, Turkey and Qatar.